Chief Justice Roberts reveals he's a victim of credit card fraud after telling Starbucks cashier 'I have to use cash for my coffee'

Fraud: John Roberts, pictured, has been a victim of identity theft after someone got a hold of one of his credit card account numbers

It seems no one is safe from credit card fraud - not even the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

John Roberts has been a victim of identity theft, a court spokesman has confirmed, after someone got a hold of one of his credit card account numbers.

The Washington Post's In the Loop column, which first reported the item, said Roberts, who spent Tuesday and Wednesday presiding over high-profile oral arguments on gay marriage, revealed the theft to a cashier at his local Starbucks in suburban Maryland.

According to the newspaper, he normally uses plastic to purchase his caffeine fix.

But on Tuesday, he told the worker that he had to use cash for his morning coffee because he canceled the card after discovering that someone else had the numbers.

It is unclear whether the person had used or attempted to use to card to make purchases. The court gave no other details.

The last reported criminal incident involving a justice was in May, when someone broke into the Washington home of Justice Stephen Breyer. No one was home at the time.

Around 10 per cent of Americans - or 31.4 million people - have been victims of credit card fraud.

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Meanwhile, around 7 per cent have been victims of debit or ATM card fraud, according to Consumer Sentinel Network.

The median amount stolen is $399.

Coffee: On Tuesday, he told the worker that he had to use cash for his morning coffee because he canceled the card after discovering that someone else had the numbers

Maryland is among the states with the highest rates of credit card fraud per 100,000 residents.

Roberts was in the spotlight on Wednesday when the court weighed the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which restricts the definition of marriage to opposite-sex couples for the purposes of federal benefits.

Kathy Arberg, the court spokeswoman, said Roberts had no comment on the credit card incident.